Steam-generator



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-8heet 1;

' K. O. GOEHRE.

STEAM GENERATOR.

No. 585,567. Patented June 29, 1897. .1. M

3 Sheets Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

K. G. GOEHRB. STEAM GENERATOR.

No 585,567. Patented June 29,1897.

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(No Model.) 3 sheets-$11555 3.

K. G. GOEHRE.

STEAM GENERATOR.

No. 585,567. Patented June 29,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

KARL CLEMENS GOEHRE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEAM-GENERATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,567, dated June 29, 1897.

i Application filed Octoher'5 1896.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, KARL CLEMENS GOEHRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Generators; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will en able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention relates to a novel construction in a steam-generator, the object being to provide a device of this description which will generate the maximum of steam with minimum fuel consumption and in which the circulation and feed water are so controlled that all the impurities and minerals contained in the water will be precipitated in a receptacle for that purpose, thus keeping said boiler always clear of so called boiler-stone.

Myinvention consistsin the features of construction and combinations of parts hereiln after fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of a steam-generator constructed in accordance with my invention, taken on the line 1 l of Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation of my generator. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of my generator, taken on the line 4 .4 of Figs. 5 and 6, and shows the construction as applied to a larger size. Fig. 5 is a rear end elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section on the line 6 6 of Fig. A. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the circulation.

As above stated, one object of my invention is to provide a steam-generator of maximum efficiency with minim um fuel consumption. This is obtained by causing the water to circulate as much as possible through the water-tubes with the most efficient velocity, as thereby it is obviously exposed to the heat in the most excessive degree. Another 0bject of my generator is to cause a circulation of as nearly as possible equal velocity through the various parts of the generator with the exception of a small portion which circulates slowly through the above-mentioned receptacle for the reception of the mineral impu- Serial No. 607,900. (No model.)

rities usually forming the so-called boilerstone, and which, by means of such slow circulation, permits the precipitation of such impurities.

To these ends my boiler consists of a cylindrical drum A, to the forward end of which the front water-box B is rigidly secured. An opening 1 is cut into the lower half of the drum A adjacent its forward end, which is of equal size with the upper open end of the box B, which is riveted thereto around said opening 1. Connected at one end with said box B are four sets of water-tubes 2, 3, 4, and 5. Said tubes 2 connect the upper middle portion ofthe box B with the adjacent end of the drum A, and said tubes 3, at, and 5 are connected at their other ends with the rear water-box O. Said water-box (J is entirely independent of the drum A and is free to move independently thereof in accordance with the expansion and contraction of said tubes, which obviously cannot coincide with the expansion and contraction of the drum A, being exposed to greater heat. To permit the free movement of said box 0, the same may either be mounted upon rollers resting upon the upper face of' the wall 6, as shown in Fig. l, or by rods 7, suspended from the beams 8, resting upon the sidewalls 9 of the furnace or set-ting, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. v

The grate 6" is situated between the side walls 9 and the front walls 7 and bridge 8. The said bridge 8 is provided with an upward extension 9 through which the tubes pass and which extend upwardly to the upper row of the tubes 3, so that the fire must pass upwardly and over said bridge. A deflectin g plate or bridge 10 is suspended from below the drum A and extends downwardly to a point aboutin alinement with the lower faces of the boxes B and. O. The said bridge 1O is situated midway between the bridge 8 and the box 0, and causes the fire to pass around its lower edge before passing to the chimney, thus giving the fire a zigzag course and utilizing its energy to the utmost.

A tank 10, resting upon rollers 11, is connected by upwardly-extending pipes 12 with the rear end portion of said drum A, said pipes being merged adjacent said drum when only one drum is employed, and where two 1 drums are employed rising independently and each connecting one drum with said tank 10. Said tank 10 is connected with said rear box O by an elbow l3, rising, preferably, from the upper middle portion of said tank 10 and opening into the lower middle portion of said box 0. Where two drums are employed, said elbows 13 rise from the same at the points where the pipes 12 enter the same and open into said box 0 on each side of the middle portion thereof, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. A deflecting-plate 14 is'mounted in said box 0 in front of the opening of the elbow 13. Said plate is provided with a flange at its upper end, which is secured to the rear wall of the box 0. Said box B is divided into three compartments-a middle compartment 15 and two side compartments 16by means of the plates 17, which extend upwardly from the bottom of said box and converge at their upper ends radially toward said opening 1,- which is divided into three parts thereby. Parallel vertical plates 18, extending length- I wise of said drum A for about one-fourth of.

its length, are mounted in said drum A and are riveted at their lower ends to the upwardly-projecting edges of said plates 17. Said plates 18 abut against the head of said drum A at their forward ends, and at their other ends are provided with outwardly-extending segmental flanges 19,which are adapted to abut against the cylindrical shell of said drum. A horizontal perforated plate 20, provided with downwardly-extending flanges adapted to be secured to the upper ends of the plates 18, is mounted between said plates and forms what may be termed a strainer over the middle division of the opening 1. In this manner said drum A may be said to be divided into three compartments, the main or largest of which communicates with the middle compartment 15 of the box B and the smaller of which communicate-with the compartments 16 of said box B. The upper edges of said plates 18 are level with the water-line of the boiler, while said perforated plate 20 extends some inches above the same. The said tubes 2 are connected with the middle compartment 15 of said box B and are curved upwardly therefrom, entering the drum A at the rear end portion of the channel formed between the plates 18. For purposes of description I consider it advisable to give the number of tubes in each of said sets 2, 3, l, and 5, though it will be understood that I do not limit myself to any particular number in any set. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 I have shown seven of said tubes 2. Below the same the tubes 3, twenty-three in number, enter said middle compartment 15 and extend at a gradual incline toward said box 0, the uppermost row thereof entering said box 0 adjacent its upper end. The tubes 4:, of which there are fifteen on each side, enter said side compartments 16 of said box B, their rear ends being connected with said box 0 in such a manner that the ends of the lowermost row thereof are in alinement with the rear ends of lowermost row of said tubes 3 and extend from said box C toward said box B at an upward incline corresponding with the incline of the tubes 3. The tubes 5, of which there are seven on each side, are parallel with said tubes 4 and enter said side compartments 16 below the same.

I will now proceed to describe the circulation, and for the purpose of making this clear I have illustrated the same by Fig. 7, which is diagrammatic. In this figure I have represented the main circulation by heavy lines and the slower circulation by proportionately light lines as nearly as this was possible.

Beginning with the point at, which lies in the channel between the plates 18, the water will pass downwardly into the middle compartment 15 of the box B through the opening 1 and the tubes 2, as represented by the lines I) b, to the tubes 3, through which it will pass to the box 0, as indicated by line 0. Here it will turn to the sides and enter the tubes 4, through which it will pass to the compartments 16 of the box B, as indicated by the line cl. From said compartments 16 said water will pass upwardly through the side divisions of the opening 1, as indicated by line e. The velocity of the circulation when the generator is in full operation, which is here presumed, is sufficient to cause said water to rise high above the water-line WV, so that it will always cover the perforated plate 20, through which a large part will pass in a comparatively finely-divided state,which will permit the steam-globules contained therein to liberate themselves.

It will be obvious that there will be a constant suction at the point a, owing to the rapid rise of the water in the tubes and in the side compartments of the box B, and unless said perforated plate 20 is provided this suction would tend to draw the water which has just passed through the tubes down again before a large portion of the steam globules have been liberated, and thus the tubes, instead of being supplied with water to the utmost extent, would be filled with a larger quantity of steam than is advantageous or desirable. From the point above the water-line W said water will flow, as indicated by the lines f, g, h, '5, j, 76, and m, owing to the fact that it will seekits own level. A portion of the waterin a gradually-decreasingquantity,as indicated by/ the last-named lines, respectively, will turn and flow back toward said point a and join the constant flow of the lower strata, which, so to say, forms an undertow. A portion of the water, however, as indicated by the lines at 0 p, is drawn toward the pipe 12 and passes down the same, as indicated by the line q, into the tank 10, where the feedwater (indicated byline r) is added and gradually mixes with said water from the drum A. From this tank 10 said water passes through the elbow 13 into the box 0 and impinges against the deflecting-plate 1a. This water having a lower temperature than the quiet.

water already contained in said box 0 must not come directly into contact with the front wall thereof, as it would thereby cause the same to crack, as it is exposed to a very high temperature, and I have therefore provided said deflecting-plate 14, which obviously protects said front wall. In said box (3 said water gradually mixes with the hotter water and becomes hotter thereby, but never sufficiently hot to rise and mix with the water just passing from the tubes 3 into tubes 4, and then gradually passesinto the tubes 5, where it is first subjected to a comparatively mild temperature during the first one-third of the length of said tubes, then to a higher, and then to a radiant heat, where its temperature is so increased as to equal that of the water having passed through the tubes 3 and 4t, and in this state passes into the compartments 16 of the front box B, where it rises and mixes with the last-mentioned water, as indicated by lines t and a. i

It will be obvious'that the suction caused by the tendency of the water of the tubes 5 to rise is communicated to the pipe 12 through the tank 10 and thus causes the suction at the rear end of the drum A. above referred to. It will thus be seen that I obtain an auxiliary circulation which does not in any manner interfere with my main circulation, while it is of the utmost advantage, as will be obvious from the description hereinafter contained.

I desire, further, to call attention to another great advantage in my generator. It will be noted that I have provided a plate 22, ext-ending along the upper portion of the drum A rearwardly from the front head thereof about one-third or more of its length, thus preventing the steam from passing directly to the exhaust-port 23 and forcing it to pass rearwardl y to a point where the. water is more This will permit said steam to be freed from water, and thus it is dry when leaving said drum A. It will also be noted that the passage of the steam is in the same direction as the flow of the hottest water, so that the latter is accelerated and not hindered. Again, the fact that thewater in the rear portion of the drum A remains very quiet for a period is also very advantageous, as it enables the steamglobules to liberate themselves and thus hinders foaming, which so frequently occurs in water-tube boilers and causes them to draw water, which quickly destroys the engines. Then, again, I have so constructed my boiler that every portion is calculated to cooperate with every other portion to obtain the most desirable results. Thus it is very common and, in fact, invariably the case among water-tube boilers that the intake and outlets from the water-tubes are insu'liicient to accommodate the volume of water in the tubes to pass therethrough with the same velocity as it passes through the tubes. This, however, is due to the construction, as no means are provided for permitting openings of the necessary sizes to be made. Thus by my construction in securing the front waterbox to the drum A, I have provided practically the only means for obtaining the desired result.

It will be obvious that in order to obtain a uniform circulation throughout the intake to and outlet from the tubes must as nearly as possible equal the total areas of the tubes which it feeds and relieves; but the friction in the tubes must be taken into consideration in this calculation, and as this is estimated to decrease the velocity therein about ten per cent. the said intake or downdraft opening and outlet must be decreased about ten per cent. in area, so that the velocity of the circulation therethrough will coincide with velocity in the tubes. In this manner I prevent the foaming consequent upon a too rapid circulation at the outlet in proportion to the tubes and the intense suction within the tubes consequent upon too large an outlet in proportion to the intake.

.It will be obvious that the circulation in the tubes should always be rapid, so as to prevent the settlement of boiler-stone therein.

It will be seen from the above that my circulation is as nearly perfect as it has thus far been possible to obtain it, and I will now proceed to describe the manner in which this circulation affects the impurities contained in the water and causes them to collect in the tank 10, where they can be blown off at intervals through the blow-off pipe 24.

It is a well-known physical law that the sediment contained in an agitated body of liquid will settle at those points at which the agitation is least felt, so that in a steam-generator the impurities will naturally settle in those parts which are least exposed to the heat and in which the water is consequently least agitated, which is always in the lowest portion.

The impurities contained in the water which usually form boiler-stone consist of sulfate of lime, carbonate of lime, and carbonate of magnesia, and these will not coagulate or crystallize until the temperature of the water has reached 290 Fahrenheit, so that it cannot form until the generator is ingood operation, and then the circulation in the exposed portions is so rapid that they cannot settle and are consequently carried with the water and gradually thrown into the less-agitated portions. Thus the impurities rising with the water from the side compartments 16 ofthe box B will be partially carried toward the rear end of the drum A and will settle wherever the water is sufficiently quiet, which would obviously be only in the vicinity of the pipe 12. Thus as they leave the main circulation these impurities would be gathered by the auxiliary circulation, and thus carried from the drum A into the tank 10. It will be ob vious that wherever the circulation makes a sharp turn there will be a dead-point at which said sediment has an opportunity to settle. In the tank 10 the water makes a sharp turn upwardly, and here it is obvious that a large portion or, in fact, nearly all of the impurities carried down from the drum A will settle. This 1 precipitation of the impurities in the tank 10 is, however, greatly aided in another manner. It is well known that by adding cold water to hot water holding impurities or sediment in suspension the cold water in sinking will carry the sediment to the bottom. This is practiced by almost all housekeepers in cooking coffee, and I have applied it with great success to my generator, being the first, so far as I am advised, to use it in this connection. It will be noted that the feed-water pipe 25 is very small and enters the tank 10 at one end and above the middle thereof. The cold water is admitted through this pipe and flows horizontally through the body of hot water, gradually sinking to the bottom of said tank and carrying the sediment with it. Owing to the small size of the pipe the water admitted thereto is insufficient to agitate the large body of water contained in said tank to an extent sufiicient to stir up the sediment. The circulation through the elbow 13 is so slow that it will not carry any sediment with it except the ingredients above referred to in solution and which cannot settle until heated to the degree necessary to coagulate or crystallize them. A small portion of the sediment contained in the main circulating body of water will, however, leave the same as said water passes through said box 0 from the tubes 3 to the tubes 4:, as said water is obliged to make a sharp turn. In practice I have found that a portion of this sediment will remain in the bottom of the box 0 and in the rearmost ends of the tubes 5, but is always soft and slimy and easily removed. A small portion also remains in the drum A, adjacent to pipe 12, in the form of fine crystals of carbonate of magnesia, but the remainingportions of the generators are always perfectly clean.-

As the construction shown in Figs. 4:, 5, and 6 amounts practically to a duplication of the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a detailed description of the same will be superfluous. It may be well to mention, however, that a pipe 26, as shown in Fig.4, may be substituted for the plate 22 and that a steamdrum 27 is preferably employed where two drums A are used.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a steam-generator, a drum having a front water-box dependent therefrom, a rear water-box independent of said drum, tubes between said front and rear water-boxes, and a sediment-tank having separate connection with said rear water-box and with said drum.

2. In a steam-generator, a drum provided with a water-box dependent therefrom and adapted to receive the ends of the tubes, said box being divided into a plurality of compartments each of which has a separate connection with said drum, said compartments being respectively adapted to receive and deliver water from and to said drum.

3. In a steam-generator, a drum, a waterbox dependent therefrom and divided into a plurality of compartments, oppositely -inclined tubes connected at their other ends with an independent water-box connected with said compartments of said first-named box, and an opening in said drum corresponding in size with the upper end of said box which is secured thereto around said opening.

4. In a steam-generator, a drum provided at its forward end portion with an opening, flanged plates mounted in said drum adjacent said opening and dividing said drum into three compartments, a water-box secured to said drum adjacent said opening and corresponding in size at its upper end with said openin partitions in said box dividing it into a plurality of compartments having separate communication with said compartments of said drum, upwardly-inclined tubes connected with one of said compartments of said box and at their other ends with an independent water-box, and upwardly-inclined tubes passing from said independent water-box to the other compartments of said first-named box.

5. In a steam-generator, a drum provided at its forward end' portion with an opening, flanged plates mounted in said drum adjacent said opening and dividing said drum into three compartments, a water-box secured to said drum adjacent said opening and corresponding in size at its upper end with said opening, partitions in said box dividing it into a plurality of compartments having separate communication with said compartments of said drum, upwardly-inclined tubes connected with one of said compartments of said box and at their other ends with an independent water-box, upwardly-inclined tubes passing from said independent water-box to the other compartments of said first-named box, and a sediment-tank connected with said independent water-box and with the adjacent end of said drum.

6. In a steam-generator, a drum, a waterbox dependent therefrom, an independent water-box below said drum adjacent its other end and movable with relation thereto, tubes inclined upwardly from said first-named box connecting the same with said independent box, tubes inclined upwardly from said independent box connecting same with said firstnamed box, a sediment-tank adjacent said independent box, a pipe connecting said sediment-tank with said independent box, a deflecting-plate in said independent box before the entrance of said pipe, feed-water and blow-off pipes connected with said sedimenttank, and a pipe connecting said sedimenttank with said boiler.

'7. In a steam-generator, a drum connected I with water-tubes mounted below the same and extending between two water-boxes one of which is movable with relation to said drum, and a sediment-tank adjacent said movable box, movably mounted with relation to said drum and having separate connection with said drum and with said movable box.

8. In a steam-generator, a drum connected with water-tubes mounted below the same and extending between two water-boxes one of which is movable with relation to said drum, a sediment-tank adjacent said movable box movably mounted with relation to said drum and having separate connection with said,

drum and said box, a blow-off pipe on said tank for blowing off the sediment collected therein, and a feed-water pipe connected with said tank and entering the same above the middle.

9. In a steamgenerator, a drum divided at one end into a plurality of compartments by means of plates extending to about the height of the water-line,a perforated plate extending above the water-line between said plates, and openings in said end of said drum below said plates to establish communication between the same and the water-tubes.

10. In a steam-generator, a drum divided into a plurality of compartments, a water-box connected with said drum and divided into a plurality of compartments having separate communication with said compartments of said drum,a plurality of tubes connecting one of said compartments of said first-named drum with a movable box mounted adjacent to the other end of said drum, a plurality of tubes connecting said movable box with said other compartments of said first-named box and entering said movable box at levels corresponding with the points at which said firstnamed tubes enter the same, a plurality of tubes below said last-named tubes and parallel therewith extending between said boxes and entering said last-named compartments of said divided box, and connection between said lower end of said movable box on a level with said lowest tubes and the adjacent end of said drum for establishing communication between the same and said box whereby a portion of the water will be caused to circu- 12. In a steam-generator, a plurality of wa-.

ter-tubes connected at their ends with waterboxes, one of which is connected with the drum and is adapted to feed water to and receive water and steam from said tubes, a plurality of compartments in said drum, and connection between said compartments of said drum and said water-box whereby said compartments of said drum are separably oon nected with different series of tubes through said water-box, and are adapted respectively to deliver and receive water to and from said tubes.

13. In a steam-generator,a drum connected with water-t ubes and divided into three compartments,two of which are adapted to receive the water after passing through the tubes and to deliver it above the water-line of said drum, and a perforated plate over said other compartment above the water-line over which said water from said other compartments is adapted to pass. I

14. In a steam-generator, a sediment-tank situated below the same and out of reach of the fire and having separate connection with the drum and the water-tubes, a blow-ofif pipe in said tank, and a feed-pipe connected therewith and entering the same above the middle so as to deliver the feed-water in such a manner as to cause it to carry sediment contained in the water in said tank with it to the bottom.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

KARL CLEMENS GOEHRE.

Witnesses:

RUDOLPH WM. Lorz, E. J. BOILEAU. 

